A romantic and wild corner of Ireland, an island that will give you wonderful landscapes and unforgettable trekking: in the post, all the tips for making a stop at Achill Island, far from the most touristic routes in Ireland.
You are organizing yours road trip in Ireland and dream of finding your destination off the beaten track. Are you googling advice on the Emerald Isle hoping to find that wonderful and pleasant place that responds to Ireland that you have always imagined? Here. You have found it. IS Achill Island. And to continue reading my travel tips you just have to promise me not to invade all of them en masse!
How to get to Achill Island
First of all, how do you get there? Achill Island is located in the County of Mayo, along the wild north west coast, exactly halfway between Sligo and Galway. The name tells you, Achill is an island, but it is an island connected to the rest of Ireland by a short bridge that can be traveled by car. Many years ago I landed here on local buses and then rented a bicycle. This option with a bit of resourcefulness is always valid, but my advice is based on my last trips which have always been by car. Consult the website of Bus Éireann for the most updated bus timetables, I will certainly not advise you against a cheaper and more sustainable journey! Whether traveling by car or bus, surely an intermediate stop to spend the night before or after visiting Achill can be the vibrant and most populated Westport, where there is no shortage of pubs in the evening. I highly recommend a session of traditional music at Matt Molloy's.
Where to stay
Achill Island is very popular with the Irish themselves. I realized that the accommodation facilities, compared to my first trips, have increased considerably. The prices are not exactly the cheapest but if you look carefully you can find acceptable compromises. I recommend that you stay at least one night and enjoy it starry silence (clouds permitting) and the awakening to the sound of bleating sheep. In September 2019 I found a beautiful room at the Airbnb which is called Keem Road House. It was one of the cheapest I had found and it gave me enormous satisfaction, king size bed and whirlpool included.
The atmosphere of Pure Magic
I also had a look at the Pure Magic Lodge, but there were only dorm rooms and I wasn't in the right mood. However, I found myself in it by chance (or by magic?) Because the very kind staff helped us get the wheel of our car out of a hole. Flying over our accident ... the atmosphere of Pure Magic is truly magical as the name implies and I feel I can highly recommend it. It may be a bit isolated but offers restaurant service. In general, if you want the freedom to walk out in the evening for dinner and a Guinness, go for the Keel or Dooagh area. Everything else is quite remote, an experience that is absolutely not to be excluded.
A day in Achill Island
But let's get to the actual visit. Weather and good legs permitting, the must sees I am about to describe are feasible in a full day if you have a car available and you are in the summer season when the days are very long. What is certain is that having at least two days to spend on the island would allow you to be much more relaxed and not worry too much if you run into a rainy half day.
1. Keem Bay
You cannot say that you have been to Achill if you have not arrived in Keem Bay. It is the absolute must see number one. It can be easily reached by the main asphalted road and is 8 km from Keel. If you are lucky and the sun smiles at you, you will hardly forget the colors of this beach. But my advice is to be even more daring and face the Achill Island's most beautiful trek, the one that takes you from Keem Beach to Achill Head. It is a modular path according to your needs, in the sense that you are always free to go back without going through the entire ring. So if you are not afraid of the climb and the peat you can dedicate 2 to 5 hours.
How to tackle the trek
From the beach you go up along the wall that climbs to the west (yes exactly, that climb there!). There is no real marked path, you have to find it with a bit of intuition. With a good half hour and a bit of breath, you can reach the ridges that will offer you breathtaking views of the cliffs hidden beyond the barrier ... of fatigue. Once you reach the top, if you are already knocked out, you can be satisfied and calmly find the way down. Otherwise you can continue towards Achill Head, that is to your right, enjoying ever more spectacular views. From here you can decide to go back when you wish or take the complete loop that from Achill Head takes you down through the valley that takes you back to Keem Bay. It is all very intuitive but in some places the path is not so well traced and the risk of ending up with your feet in the peat is objective. So go on this excursion well equipped with Goretex shoes. Last time I literally washed myself in the ocean once I got back to Keem Bay (and honestly I would do it again now!).
2. Keel Beach
Another unmissable stop but within everyone's reach. When it's time to rest your legs and refresh your spirit, take a walk on this endless beach. Allow yourself at least an hour. Here in high season it is possible to surf and, as some locals told me, the company of dolphins is not excluded.
3. Deserted Village
Take a walk among the remains of the abandoned village, a destination recommended by all guides and certainly suggestive. If you arrive by car, you only need to calculate a maximum of half an hour to visit. If you don't have much time available, you can in my humble opinion leave out the Doogort area, which is perhaps less spectacular than the other parts of the island.
4. Dooega
If you are driving or are trained cyclists, do not leave Achill Island without having traveled the loop of the Dooega area. When you think that by now this island has offered you everything it could in terms of landscape, this pleasant tour is truly amazing, if you are leaving it is a goodbye that you must absolutely treat yourself. Or just a goodbye.
